Lake Darling
Renville County, North DakotaView mapDirections
ND DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Darling. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 110 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Darling in Renville County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 255 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.4 µg/L.
Lake Darling is a mesotrophic lake in Renville County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 110 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Renville County, Lake Darling ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2023-07-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Darling is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Darling is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Darling is safe to swim in today is a call for the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Lake Darling
These are the measurements ND DEQ publishes for Lake Darling, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 4.9 ft. Phosphorus 255 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.4 µg/L. TSI 59.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 255µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.4µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 59 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lake Darling
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lake Darling typically sits around 41°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 45°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 47°F) and coldest in Sep (about 40°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (40°F) to its warmest (47°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 100 field readings (2015–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal.
Lake Details
Max depth
~110 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by ND DEQ
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. North Dakota has not published bathymetry for Lake Darling.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
8,658 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
1,371 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
9.9 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,585 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Lake DarlingPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Darling
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Darling in Renville County, North Dakota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Darling
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Fishing Lake Darling
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2021–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.55 µg/L/yr2 years
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Darling is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit ND-09010008-001-L_00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Renville County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Darling
Where is Lake Darling?
- Lake Darling is a lake in Renville County, North Dakota. Its water-quality measurements are published by ND DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Darling?
- Lake Darling in Renville County, North Dakota has water-quality measurements published by ND DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 255 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.4 µg/L.
Is Lake Darling safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Darling is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lake Darling?
- Lake Darling typically sits around 41°F at the surface in October, from 100 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2015–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lake Darling?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Darling, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 110 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Darling?
- Lake Darling has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Darling. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Darling?
- Lake Darling has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by North Dakota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Lake Darling across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
11 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX11 samples · 2021–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
- 4500 NO3 E ~ Nitrate in Water- Cadmium Reduction
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Depth, fish, and access data from North Dakota Game & Fish
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory